Question
Oliver
Hello Carol!
I am thrilled to see there is a Jack Russell expert on here! We just adopted a 2 year old supposed Jack Russell/Norfolk Terrier mix. He is a wonderful, house trained, gentle and affectionate boy. We are so lucky to have gotten such an awesome dog from a rescue!!
I definitely see the jack in him, but I know Norfolk terriers are usually only 10-12 lbs so I don't think that is what he's mixed with. My precious pooch is a whopping 28 lbs! He is pretty tall too. I wish I could upload more than one pick so you could see him standing, but this is the best one I have so far. His hair is quite long and thick even for a rough coated jack. I don't expect you to be able to tell me what he is mixed with, but I would love your expert opinion as well as some insight to caring for our new pet based on him being a jack mix.
He just started barking at all hours of the night (he has a crate in a gated area of our house that doesn't get locked) so we're thinking of bringing him into our room at night. I asked a behavioral expert about the barking and she advised against bringing him into our room. My dilemma though is I don't want to lock him in a crate but I don't actually have a better area to gate him in and get him out of our bedroom range where he won't wake us up with his barking. This is my main issue I have with him.
Barking aside, he is an absolute sweetheart. He loves to cuddle with us, give kisses and is the most gentle dog I've ever seen! He won't even take his favorite toy from our 17 month old son's hand. He's not territorial with his toys at all. He loves a good game of fetch, but as I mentioned he is so gentle with the baby that he won't even take a toy off the ground if he sees one of the kids going for it too!
I want to make sure he is getting enough exercise, but we live in Florida and he's got this super thick coat and I worry about him getting overheated if we spend too long outdoors right now. I take him for a good walk first thing in the morning while it's still dark and take him for a good walk in the evening as well. He gets walked inbetween those as well, just not as long.
I'd love some breed specific pointers that might help since I've only ever heard all the things people say about them being crazy hyper and destructive. My Oliver certainly doesn't fit that stereotype!
Thanks for taking the time to read this! I look forward to hearing your tips and advice!
Sarah
AnswerHi Sarah,
Oliver (LOVE the name!)is adorable and sounds like a great dog, congratulations and thank you for rescuing him!! He's a lucky guy. I can see a resemblance of rough coat jack russell in his face but nothing else looks JACK to me. Sometimes the people at the rescue just call them what they think they look like, so who knows??! But, if he's a great dog, who cares?! :)
Everyones opinion is different on taking their dogs in their bedrooms, some say NO WAY and others say DEFINITELY! It's really a personal choice of yours. I have seen both scenarios work beautifully for different people. I think he is barking at all hours of the night because he is adjusting to his new home and people. Some dogs will adjust quickly and enjoy the quiet night time and others really need to be with their owners. Unfortunately it's hard to say which one will work for you, it's got to be a personal decision. I'll tell you, I USED to have my dogs in my bedroom with me, especially when I only had one, because they are "pack" animals and thrive on being in a pack (Olivers pack is your family). After my next jack (and the next, and the next), it started to get too noisy at night for me to sleep so I moved them downstairs and they did just fine (because they are their own pack now!) I am still the "leader" but they have eachother for company. You can buy one of those foldable/expandable pens that you can make larger or smaller as you need. They are great to contain the dog in a small space; not as small as a crate and not so large as a room. If you decide to let him sleep with you in your room you can bring the pen up there and put a bed in it. Make it the size you're comfortable with. My favorite are the gold/zinc ones, here is a link to see them:
http://www.midwesthomes4pets.com/category/default.aspx?maincatid=32%26subcat=6%2...
They sell them at pet stores or online. They are foldable, portable and one of the best purchases you can make. It will last a very very long time.
Lastly, I agree with you about the negative stereotype (it's not fair, and not correct!). The only Jacks that are hyper and destructive are the ones who do not get enough exercise, and it's the owners who are responsible for how their dogs "act". You are definitely walking Oliver enough, and if it gets too hot outside, you can always put him on your treadmill (serious!).
They love it!
The best thing you can do for your dog is to make sure he's getting GOOD FOOD that will help him stay healthy. Don't buy any of the supermarket junk and you can also check this website out for the best food for your needs. I am constantly on this website checking out the best foods.
Click on Review and a list of foods from one to 6 stars will come up.
http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/
I hope I helped you, and I wish you the very best of luck with Oliver!! Write anytime.
Carol
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